I literally feel your pain! I owned an 86 cr500 when I was 17 yrs.old and 140 lbs.maximum. I stalled the bike crossing train tracks alone & miles from home. I kicked that beast for so long I made a hole in my work boot just in time for that famous kick-back you got to enjoy. I actually cried multiple times because I still had to keep kicking with my broken food & damaged boot. The relief I felt when that bike fired to life I will never forget. I found procedure to start-#1-throttle wide open & lean bike over till fuel spills out carb. #2-throttle wide open, choke off, kick over few times to get fuel in cyl. #3-choke on, throttle closed, kick past tdc then jump on kicker with every ounce of your soul. That bike started on 1st kick EVERY TIME after that. I wish I never sold it. Love/hate for sure. Enjoy that demon from hell while you can.
Me too. Back in the day. I was at Hollister. Off to the distance was another guy, sweating profusely, and swearing like a truck driver. We got together and solved it. We moved the kick starter up a couple of notches, got a turkey baster with a bit of hose stuck on the end and syphoned gas out of the tank. Removed the plug, and gave it a bit of prime. Problem solved.
That’s funny I had the kx 420, Kawasaki version of the 2 stroke 500 class. Got it at 14 or 15 in 8th grade. I’d push it over by the deck on back of house for initial start so I could keep 1 foot on the deck and throw my right leg over, I’d get piston to tdc and give it hell but I was pretty big/athletic for my age. That thing would try to throw me off in every gear.
I used to ride big two strokes, owned several, and all of them were extra dangerous with their kick-starts. You have to know exactly what you are doing otherwise you can kiss your ankle goodbye. My favorite was the KX500.
Please fully restore this bike it deserves it and don’t let John wreck it haha this thing is a classic always wanted to ride one be safe as always guys
I owned a 1987 CR 500 for abut five years. The carb. sounds rich on the slow and mid circuits. Start it with no throttle because the enrichment circuit (not choke) only functions with a closed throttle plus it didnt look like it was being kicked with a full stroke and not fast enough.
Agree. As a former open class rider, you really gotta kick these like you mean it. One old timer told me "If you pussyfoot her, she will bite your leg off. Snap that kick so fast she can't catch your leg"
yes, and to add to that, they wont start until the carb is dialed in, kick harder and fast, no throttle with choke, thing probabaly needs a crank seals,
@@lowellray2397 My dad's friend had a swap meet special kick start harley and he said bikes like these (big engine dirt bikes and vtwins) you gotta kick em like you're tryin to kill em or else you'll regret it. And that's how he started that thing every time. He kicked that fucker like he was tryin to break the kick starter off haha.
Cool addition to the fleet gentlemen. Nothing like a big 2stroke bike. Had a KX500 back in the day and was nutty fast and scarry. Keep extra money in the kitty for rear tires.
If I were to send you a Bafang M625 50.4 volt mid drive could you build me a tadpole trike/go-kart or a rail bike? Bought it and haven't found a bike it will fit on. This kit will supposedly snap chains because of the torque. And it doesn't have to have pedals. It can be used with the thumb throttle. It's a 1 kw motor with a 19.6Ah Battery. 45 mph and 60-100 mile range? All depends on gearing. This could be your first electric build for your channel. Open up karting to another group of people. Instead of grease monkeys they'd be die-electric grease monkeys.🐒🐒🐒🐒🐒🐒
I now a few of my buddies still hobble around and can tell you when its gonna rain 😂busted up bones from that toemain machine. Only thing i ever rode as evil as the 500 was a buddy of mine's 750 3cyl Kawasaki 2stroke wicked evil lil street bike light and had a nasty habit of keeping the frt wheel off the pavement and smoking the back tire all at the same time 😳😂😂
i had a 1982 CR480 4 speed when I was in high school at it was a BEAST it was not fun to ride in the woods because it wanted to be WIDE OPEN Field going FULL THROTTLE which was SCARY AS HELL and i sold it after it flipped over on top of me in 3rd Gear and all i was doing was burping the gas and I WASN'T READY for the POWER BAND when it hit and you know your got a BADASS 2 Stroke when the stock piston is as big as your fist. These Big Boyz are NOT TOYS👍😎👍
There are a couple of tricks for starting the 500, leaving over to get fuel out is a good start, making sure the choke is on, putting in the second gear and rocking the bike back-and-forth in gear front to back will help draw more fuel and air into the crank case, making starting much easier Also need to get a full kick to the bottom of the stop, that really makes a big difference as well, the ignition on the 8586 models was not very good, upgrading to the newer one helps a lot, I will usually modify a Newer, CR 250 ignition, that makes starting even easier.And also make sure your plug gap is .020
When I was younger, I had a Yamaha TT500 (4 stroke), owned it for 2 days and sold it ASAP. I am only 150 lbs and that thing was a monster like the CR500 are. I eventually got a CR250R (1984) and that alone was scary quick, fast and hard to kick over, at least for me it was, but it was fun!
Back in early 2000's, a budy I worked with took a cr500 and swapped it into a 250r racing quad. Apparently, it wasn't too difficult to do (some welding and manual convincing), and when alI was said and done, I felt it was appropriate to tell him he just created a 2 stroke monster. And when I say that thing was loud, what I really mean is, that thing was practically fucking ear shattering. Just sitting on the quad and reving it would make your eyes vibrate. Seriously, once, after waiting for a traffic light, I watched my buddy leave 50ft+ strips down the street straight smoking tire the whole time. It was such a untamed beast because it tried to kill you every time you rode the damn thing.
Sounds like you’re on the right track. Ive been riding these motocross bikes my whole life. Start with surgically cleaning the carb. It could also be the stator shorting out when hot. You absolutely have to run the airbox. The jetting is very specific on these mx bikes. Also, when you run out of gas, you run out of oil! Smart idea about the engine seals. Old seals can introduce a lean condition which will cause the engine to detonate and meltdown. Good luck
You need to kick these from top dead center if you want a reliable first/second kick start up EVERY time. You also need to kick down with all of your weight on the kick lever after winding it up to TDC with the kick lever ALL the way up like I said. Mine fires right up easy with an air striker flat slide carb upgrade doing as I mentioned. You can also wind it up to TDC with the Kick lever as far up as it can go while still grabbing, push down easy on the kick start with your foot a little bit till it moves down just a tad then kick it from there if you really struggle. Putting something beside the left side of the bike a little bit higher then the peg to put your left foot on while kicking it helps big time as well because it’s easier to get your weight into the kick to make sure your getting a hard/quick enough kick every time. When I kick down on mine I pick myself up with my arms on the bars to pick up my left foot with the right foot firm against the kick lever at either TDC or a hair past it and literally drop all my weight down while kicking with my right foot. Your foot should never come off of that kick start/lever and should be firmly touching against it the whole time or you won’t be able to effectively use your weight and kick it over quick enough. I’ve found that tipping them over and all that crap can cause more headaches then good and you’ll experience some kick back, opening the throttle at all while it’s got fuel in the cylinder from laying it down is bad and you will get the kickback of a lifetime that will ever move you out of the way or bust your shin/etc and move it out of the way as it kicks back which can put the fear of god in you and make starting the thing a scary experience until you figure it out. The bike shouldn’t kick back if the jetting/carb is dialed in and you can get some fuel moving to the cylinder for an easier start after sitting for a period of time by putting the bike in 3rd/4th/or 5th gear and then rapidly push it forward and backwards like 6 times with a small pump of the throttle… Laying it over can flood it if your not experienced and you do that quickly if that’s the route you take, rocking it back in forth in gear will accomplish the same without over doing it so you don’t break your leg off. Always try to start it with the choke kicking it over as I described and slowly turn the choke off more and more if no luck and it should fire, if you kick it several times and get to the point that the choke is fully off then try two quick pumps of the throttle with choke off or slightly on. If you have no luck at that point then resort to rocking it back and forth in a higher gear or tipping it over really quick and picking it back up. Ideally it should be starting for you without having to touch the throttle while actually kicking it over because your chances of receiving kick back are high at that point. I’ve never had a 500 kick back on me after I figured that stuff out and quit trying to open the throttle too much while kicking it incase it actually fires up quickly and dies in the middle of kicking down and breaks your foot. Sometimes on rare occasions the bike while keep running after breaking your leg kicking back but at that point your lucky if you can ride it.. Most of the time it lights off and then dies though so it just breaks your leg and the bike still isn’t running 😂. It’s the nature of the beast if you want to be ride a CR500 and have a pleasant experience instead of absolutely hating the thing unless it’s actually running lol. The key is to kick it from TDC and it takes more effort then kick starting any other machine, I would rather kick start a high compression 4 stroke 450cc quad or dirt bike engine any day because they are nothing compared to that big bore 500 2 stroke. I have a 2006 CRF250R Honda four stroke motocross chassis with CR500 engine swap so a CR500AF, AF=Aluminum frame, with weight and nimbleness of a 125cc 2 stroke MX bike but the power and torque of the CR500 so if you think that stocker steel frame bike is insane you should ride a CR500AF sometime with a modern, lightweight aluminum chassis with mods! My AF blew my mind the first ride and it almost feels like cheating riding the thing it is so wicked!!! Hopefully what I said makes sense to you as far as starting goes because it makes the bikes a lot more enjoyable to have and want to rip it! Been riding for 30 years and raced 450cc quad MX for several years but I learned on 3 wheels at age 4 and always rode three wheelers, quads, and dirt bikes over the years instead of sticking to one because it really helps as an overall rider and I’ve dedicated most all of my free time to the sport to get better and better. I enjoy watching your videos and I really loved this one with the CR500, GREAT JOB as always guys!!!! Keep doing what you do and maybe think about finding a burnt out, cheap aluminum frame modern dirt bike with a solid chassis at least with a blown motor, preferably a Honda CRF250R chassis 06 to 08 ish to keep the weight down. You can buy all the parts and new front lower frame section, etc to fit the 500 into those Honda chassis. You have to cut and weld the aluminum frame but it’s pretty straightforward and you can buy the pieces pre made of you don’t need any to fab your own kit. It’s really not that bad money wise and what you end up with, TRULY IS INSANE!!!! You have the motor already which is a better part of the battle lol. Just a thought! I basically never have to rock my bike or tip it, it fires up quickly and reliably even after sitting for awhile since the carb is tuned perfectly so I really only did that before starting when I first got a 500 and it was new to me but everyone told me the same thing I have commented here and after doing it the right way and learning for myself these bikes really aren’t that hard to get started. As long as the carb is properly jetted for the fuel/oil mix ratio your putting in the tank and it is clean and getting enough fuel flowing, no air leaks, and clean intake/ reeds/air filter/no excess buildup in the exhaust, expansion chamber, good compression, spark, etc you shouldn’t have to struggle to get it started with the kick lever or have kick back. I run 40:1 fuel/oil mix ratio with either premium ethanol free gasoline, or premium gasoline mixed with some VP 110 to bump up the octane a little bit with “Dominator” 2-stroke oil in my 500 and it runs mint. th-cam.com/video/XDwP6aQ-Dy8/w-d-xo.html&feature=sharea
@@Dartgame340 that’s your choice and I respect that but I should of been more clear in the first comment, it is for someone new to a 500 looking for some answers or a better understanding of them so the bike can be an enjoyable experience. It’s long because I am thorough and want to put the information here for the creator @CarsandCameras. No, I do not know everything and that’s not what it’s about, but I’m a veteran rider of 30 years and own a 2006 CR500AF and remember figuring it out myself. There’s plenty of info on the internet that I have already sorted through and tried different things until I figured out what actually works and just leaving it here to maybe help someone else out that needs an in depth comment to read. Thankfully I own and have ridden many kick start machines over the past 30 years and have a couple 350x’s and 200x’s, 2001 400ex fully built for MX with an 05 TRX450R kick start quad engine swapped in the chassis, YZ250, etc etc so It didn’t take long to figure out how to get reliable one kick starts on the 500 without busting a leg or kicking so many times your too tired to even ride the thing by the time it does light up which is frustrating and having to pull start the 500 with a tow rope isn’t the best for it either as a work around. This was probably too long for you to make it this far but other people trying to learn will appreciate the info and that’s what it was for, to help out fellow riders… A lot of people like to act like everything is a secret or just plain don’t care to share knowledge with the rest of us and I’m not that guy….
If you don't have enough ass to kick start it, you damn sure don't have enough to ride it. Lol! That was a rule the man that taught me to ride had, that & if you lay it down get right back on it ! Also he always said' if you're not wiping out your not riding!
Oh lord brings a tear to my eye. I had the exact bike in 88 as an 18 yr old and it tried to kill you every time. It was amazing and i rode it every day its what made us men and the 80s amazing!!! I rode it to school in Nike hightops daily. Thanks so much for doing this machine!!!
I've had my two since 1999 and 2000. Still both are running strong. My 1989 started being hard to start but a buddy told me to upgrade the wiring to a thicker gauge so I did. Needless to say it went from being almost impossible to kick over to starting on the second kick everytime. May help may not but it's worth a shot.
You guys need to see what an old CR 500 can be.... Check out FAB Rats and the fellow who rebuilt his CR,it came out looking like it was straight off the showroom floor only better. It's an incredible resto job!!!
Had 2 CR500's one was a road legal supermoto and the other was in MX trim. My starting sequence was - put the bike in gear, place a hand on top of the back wheel and move it backwards and forwards making the engine turn over, this primed the cylinder with fuel and it started within a couple of kicks, I dont know why this worked because it does the same as kicking it over but it did work, another way was a small shot of fuel down the spark plug hole.
I see you guys are stepping it up a notch with the quality! John, Issac (Hopefully it’s spelt right) , Charles you are all the best of the best! I’m sure y’all know that. 👌
John made a video fairly recently about how they are going to release less videos as often to release better content. It was honestly a really good decision and I'm really happy with it. The boys seem less stressed and we get better content out of it!
@@rya3190 Sometimes. Did you see Chuck in every single video since the first time he was on Camera? I can tell you no, although Chuck was cool, he didn’t stay, but Charles has, he has proven his loyalty the boys. I see Issac still messes around with him in a fun way.
Man this thing takes me back to my childhood. I’m a 82 baby and my dad had one of these. Took it for a joy ride after me and 3 of my friends all hurt ourselves tryin to get it started. Good times! Another awesome video guys
Got to love this , a friends brother had one of these in the early 90’s . Road legal, he used to wait 200-300 yards behind traffic at the lights , when they changed he used to wheelie down the outside lane overtaking everyone beating the lights before they changed to red. .😂❤ Thank god they invented starter motors. 😇🇬🇧 Awesome piece of kit .
Just a suggestion. You should probably do a leak down test to insure you don’t have a seal leak somewhere in the motor it will burn a 2-stroke up if too much air is getting in. And a crank seal will allow trans fluid into the crank causing it to foul plugs.
I have an 1981 CR125R, and I had a problem where when it got hot, it stopped working. The problem was the ignition coil (inside the magneto), swapped it to a new one and it was like different bike after that. These old 2 strokes need a really good strong spark, as the pressure inside the cylinder get really high on high rpm. I would start there, just get all new (if you find them) electric parts and it will solve most of the starting and running problems!
I have faith in that new ignition coil and magneto. Engines are finicky and 1 bad part can throw the whole thing off. a slow RPM from a kick may still trigger a spark to get it going every 10 kicks, but if the magnet is weak or the coil burned out or corroded it's probably putting out a small fraction of the proper spark it would get from new parts. Good luck. You guys look like some good friends, and that's a wild fun project. Enjoy!
Everything you mentioned about replacing electrical wise is a very good idea, it’s a short stroke motor. so it’s definitely an animal too ride 😳 if you’re gonna change the crank seals go for a top end rebuild, air filter , clutch plates ,, silencer packing, it’s an iconic bike what you put into it your gonna get back if you ever sell ( don’t)and change the gearbox oil if you haven’t already great show and good luck 🍀👍🙏
So far, this has been one of my favorite videos. I remember seeing these as a kid while riding a 175, it was always awesome to see what guys were doing on these bikes. Keep up the good work and Please restore it to "mostly" it's former glory!
Awesome bike ! I enjoyed watching you guys get this old beast running. One tip that I have found to get a 2 strokes that have been sitting around running would be to dump a little mixed gas down the cylinder head prior to attempting to start the bike. This helps get the bike to prime and fire up. Great video !
i had a CR500 and i still have the scare up the inside of my leg from it kicking back. always have steal shank sole boots to try to start it. but that thing is a beast.
As someone with a lot experience with a few CR500s i was back and forth laughing and cringing at rookie 500 owner mistakes 😆 obviously kicking an untested 500 without a boot was gonna get someone a boo boo, but what was REALLY scary to me was riding it without front brakes 😬
i was more worried about the total lack of knowledge like trying to tow start it because they dont know how to kick it over and not even know to pop the clutch when tow starting it. they didnt even know the drain plug on the water pump cover they thought it was the wrong bolt.
The reed valve’s are sticking from setting up so long. Clean with brake fluid,also look thru the valve the same way the fuel flows towards the sun or a light. If you see daylight around the edges you should adjust the valve to seal by moving the petals around and retighten the little screws. The petals are sticking from 2-stroke oil in storage. Be careful not to stick the piston in the cylinder when jetting the carburetor,it sounds rich.
two things... it was made to loft you over 60ft doubles after accelerating for around 8-10ft, and when you hit the powerband with enough grip to load the engine fully you'll hear a sound that sounds like war... thats full power
I had an '84 CR500, last of the air-cooled,. They called that the widow maker at the bike shop where i bought it ( in oz). It had a big bore kit ( by previous owner) and was scary fast as well. I learnt to ride it on the back wheel as i couldn't keep the front wheel down, and yes, i bruised my right foot many times. The power band is something that never gets old in these things , deadly fun !
My first race bike was a cr480 with a left side kick, then the 490 and a few years later a cr500. Now I trail ride a crf450. The big two strokes don’t really enjoy low rpm if I remember correctly and do enjoy 3rd gear starts when the gate drops . Just keep your nuts on the tank and you’ll be fine.
Finally a real bike! I get that whole mini bike stuff, but dirt bikes and proper bikes reach a far bigger audience for you guys. I reckon focus on this for the future, like old car stuff you've guys done blows up. Lawnmower engines are cool but kind of done it's dash ...keep this up guys
I think budget mini-bike/go kart builds would be better than some of the crazy minibike builds at least, not many (sane) people would drop hundreds into a cheap China engine
Restore it, brought back emotions and memories for me, i had a '87. First time trying kick over took like 2hrs. I am 5'5'' after a while i got good enough to start it without a kick stand or someone holding it. Dont give up on it. Twist throttle, lean it over, past TDC, one good mule kick with all your weight til the kicker hits the foot peg and they start.
Those bikes are monsters, I had a 91 back in the early 2000s and by far the torquey bike I've ever had. I swear mine had a compression release that made it much easier to start
I bought a brand new CR 500 in 1987 that was a leftover they couldnt sell. It wasnt long and I bought a Husqi 510 AE. The Husq literally scared the hell out of me with its crazy powerband. Funny thing is that I still own them both today and give them a run every weekend and the Husq is still scary..lol
Nice. My bro had a husky race bike. Threw him over the bars once when he first got it. I was 5 and he had to watch me.. rode on the tank and hung on the handlebars. He made a spot to put my feet off the top of the shocks. Great times.
I ended up with an 86 kx500 , same thing no one really wanted it , definitely intimidating bikes , everyone wanted the 250s and 125s , well their loss as I passed them in 5th gear throttle wheelies
Sounds amazing but make sure your expansion chamber is clean and clear also your power valve needs to be clean and clear and if you're running and Big bore kit it should be 40 to 1
The thing with these cr500's (had two myself, an '86 and a '88) is you have to kick it the right way and really do it with persistence. Use work boots or mx boots or something, with thick soles. Also, do a leak down test (look up: 2t leak down) to exclude any airleaks which can make starting a pain. These bikes should start pretty easy like any other 2t when sorted. Good luck!
Try putting in a set of boysen 2 stage reeds in the original manifold. Go one size hotter on the plug, double check jetting to see if has been changed, and definitely get brakes working. Those 500s are at their best in sand dunes, had allot of fun with the CR500 and KTM495 on the dunes and in the desert. Be safe:)
A tip of advice for two strokes, instead of starting fluid. You’re supposed to use pre mix in a squirt/mist bottle. At least that’s what I was always told ! :)
@@j_rainsgoat3929 I'm all for risky fun but also John had no business trying to start (and ride) that thing! If it had done to John what it did to Ike, John would have launched across the road... WITH the broken ankle. That bike is arguably the most lethal dirt bike made.
I've ridden one once. That was enough for me. Y'all handled it well, but keep in mind that you haven't gotten it in the power band yet and that's a whole next level of insanity!
@TNTMOTO Possible the one I rode was modified because I definitely had a power band. It was as if I suddenly got kicked in the chest with little throttle input.
@Engineering_Improvisation perhaps it was. Power curves can be altered with porting, intake and exhaust but for the most part the 85 just pulled ridiculously hard from the bottom through the mid and then leveled out in the top. Never the less. They are one crazy motor.
Hello I owned two CR500. Watching your video was like seeing a old friend . I'm 58. 1987 not sure on the second one . the stock CR ran the best. It put me on my back plenty of times best . the stuttering engine is normal at lower RPMs. I did some racing.. bikes and ATVs . I but the 500 engine on a 250 R ATV . It vibrated so bad you couldn't hold on to the handle bars. I wouldn't recommend putting the engine on something else.
put your weight and leg into it at the same time I could do it when I was15 years old in timberland boots on a newly bored and newly rebuildlt bike of exactly same model year . Watch kickback tho it’s a beast for sure to start and once running..wow the memories Fix clutch before you kill yourself that thing is a animal
I'd LOVE to see more of this legend!❤ I had trouble with my 2smoker, check the expansion chamber and clean it out with FIRE and compressed air. Got my Husqy running gooood
Hi guys. I understand you need a hand with the carb issues on the beast. LMAO! I went through everything you guys did VERBATIM in 1988 when I bought a 1984 cr500 from Asheboro Honda. The mod is simple……throw that P.O.S. 38mm keihen in the garbage, and slap on the modern day equivalent to a Mikuni 40mm flat slide! GONE will be the ridiculous hard starting. Just push the kick lever past TDC, jump up and come down on it with all your weight, DONT TWIST THE THROTTLE…just half choke when cold. And once she’s warmed up, choke off, NO throttle to start. VERY excellent starting circuit on the Mikuni. Oh, and fair warning, the Mikuni also seems to have a high speed circuit that the Keihin does not, so it feels like it gains an extra 1000-1250rpm on top, making the beast way more flexible and far less abrupt. 1st gear becomes USEABLE. My second cr500 I purchased new in 1999. Honda seemed to have gotten Keihin to put one on that metered properly by then. To be fair, I gained my salvation by unwittingly having the right issue of DirtBike magazine in 1984 that did the review of the last air cooled, first full 500cc CR. They were just as dumbfounded with the hard starting as I was. Luckily they knew what the cure was for my pains. Did you know the 1985 model was the point where they said “Hey, maybe we need to start tuning this thing down a bit.” Ever since then a Honda has tamed the compression a bit each year. You guys got the knarliest one bro! Oh I forgot to mention, I never had a spark plug last more than 2 or 3 rides on the 84. The 99 models plugs would last about 8-10 rides before fouling. The 84 came with 13-51 gearing. I believe the 99 was 13-50. Nate Holder, originally from Siler City….. ……keep yer head down when you pull the trigger on that beast!
The 85 engine is unique. The cylinder and crankshaft are different than the other CR 500 models. Mine was hard to start like that one is. Later ones were easier to start because they moved the exhaust ports to lower compression.
yeah, we tried that a bunch as well. Tip it over until fuel runs out of the carburetor, put it in gear and rock it back and forth, get it just past TDC, give it a good strong kick. This one just doesn't light off on the first or second kick like most others seem to.
Check the power valve and make sure there’s no cuts in the air box to carb rubber boot also if you do get an a good enough size air leak the motor will run away like a diesel motor
There are a few episodes where I worry about your safety, and this was one of them. That bike is just plain dangerous. I rode that bike's little brother, a similar year 250, and it was crazy powerful. I vote for bringing it back to its former glory, taking it for a run around the track, then immediately selling it, lol.
Didn't they start adding the compression release to the engine in 1987. It was built into the kickstarter If I remember correctly. I also thing you can put it in as an aftermarket part as well.
No, they didnt. You can buy an aftermarket head that has an integrated compression release added to it, but the CR500 NEVER had a compression release from the factory. Source: I own 2 differnt generations of them.
I have some CR 500 experience and the first thing I can tell you about it seemingly starving for fuel is that the carb float is probably set to low. Secondly, make sure the carb jetting is the original size and the needle is in the factory set position. CR 500s are absolutely awesome. Robbie Knievel made a CR his bike of choice for good reason👍🏻
Well, gentlemen, you guys have a beast on your hands that definitely deserves to be resurrected! It’s a bad ass bike and when they’re running good, there’s nothing like it! Great video and congrats on acquiring this monster 👍🏼🤩🫡❤️
My buddy had one of these MONSTERS. He would beg me to take turns trying to kick-start this thing. My last starting assist, the kick starter went through my brand new Alpine Star Tech-6 boots. My buddy has since sold this MONSTER. This video brought me so much joy. Thank you.
You guys have made a lot of go karts. But, I don't think you've ever made a 2 stroke go kart. This is probably a little too powerful. But, you do have those KX80s. One of those would be cool.
Oh my.. I've had 2 of the widow makers back in the day. I wouldn't ride it without being able to feather the front brake.. with it being hard to start, check the compression. If it checks out then take the carb completely apart & make sure the idle jet or the main isn't plugged.. sometimes when ya run outta gas on them older big bore 2 strokes lean out & run wide open for a minute.. fix the brakes guys for yalls safety.. be safe. & good luck, have fun...
Lean it over and stand up 3 times before trying to start, when you get the air fuel mix right and may need to adjust reed stop plate for peak performance, good starting point for air fuel screw is 2 1/8 to 2 1/2 turns out it will start easier but that style carby, it was a mission to get them to idle at times
17:46 for future reference and for a LOT less fighting take off the sub frame on the bike and it makes putting the carb in 1,000,000x easier its a bit more work but helps so much more
So I have a 1988 engine in an 04 CRF450 roller. These bikes are for sure a keeper. You should completely restore it or ya k the engine and put it in a newer CRF roller. That would make it a CR500AF. My bike is for sure a head yanker and is for sure a big boy bike. I’m 165lbs, I rebuild these bikes and own 4 YZs (Yamahas) an 02 YZ250, 05 YZ250, 2014 YZ250, 05 YZ144 which is a big bore 125. I love the stupid power on my 04 CR500AF and ride as a novelty. You should strip it completely and do a complete rebuild or again mount it to a newer aluminum gram making it more parts friendly. Just about any newer frame from 97-2023 will work fine, you need a 97-01 airbox boot, and the hardware to mount it to the newer model airbox. All this can be done well. Check out CR500, and built 500 for more insight and modification instructions. These will always be fantastic bikes just as the Kawasaki KX500 is also.
I was the lucky owner of a CR500 1989 model. I bought it second hand in '93 for arround 3000 Dollars, but the owner barley drove it. The first original chain and sprocket were as good as new. Also almost no wearing of the saddle or other scraches on the plastic Me as a student having not a lot of money bought a CR500, due the fact that the engine did not have to work as hard compared to a 125 or 250cc. So this reduced any kind of wear on the engine (also the experienced guys at the track told me this) So this could in potential saved me some money because (according to them) a CR500 is a bit more "wear proof" Offcourse me as a hobbyist never would be able to grind this machine like pro's At that time i did not go out, but i saved every dime to be able to dirtbike every Saterday from 10.00 Am till 17:00 PM. I put my heart and soul into this Most beautifull type 1989 CR500 ever made (in my opinion) But as you could guess, it eventually got stolen. And i litterally felt heart broken. After that in 1995 i worked and managed to purchase a proffesional Honda CR500 factory machine from '93. But most of the time i used this machine to cruise on the public road, rather than using it on the track O yes, i forgot to say that when i bought this machine they (again) after 3 days of purchasing the tried to steal it from me I reiforced my garage door, and installed alarm. And ye you guessed it, after the 2nd attempt another 3rd attempt was made to steal, At this time i was fed up with all the damage on my garage, and i sold it with quite some loss. Back in 1995 i payed about 4500 Dollars for a 1993 Honda Team factory machine. I just wanted to get rid of it, and i sold it for about 1300 Dollars in 1997. This more or less ended my "DIrtbike Carrier"
I've had 2, and technically a 465. I can hear that the jets need to be cleaned, also check the float level. 100% restore it. Start with the new bottom-end bearing, and cork it while you put in new seals and gaskets. Give it a higher case pressure. Good fun bike when the powerband kicks in.
I had one of those. Practically gave it away when I couldn't find a piston large enough for another boar. Even Weisco couldnt get the next size larger piston. Yea, it was a beast. Needed re-sleved-----cost prohibitive. Pistons tend to sieze when it gets hot.
CR500 cold start procedure. Lean over and give it full throttle till gas pukes out the vent line. Kick through slowly to just past tdc. Give it a healthy kick while twisting the throttle. If everything's good mechanically, It'll light first kick every time. You dont need to be big, I could do it as a scrawny 13yo.
I had a 85? 84? XR500. I still have the divit in my shin from the Kickstarter. High compression 500cc 4 stroke during the winter, and it kicked me up in the air and slammed against my shin. But I could keep up with ANY 2 stroke. The downfall, dual rear shocks and I barely weighed 137lbs when I got it so absolutely NO upward travel. But the huge front tire was awesome for curb hoping. But it had absolutely so much torque you could shift whenever you wanted, and you could take off in any gear. You could basically shift straight through all the gears back to back and it just went! Miss that bike. If you ever decide to get rid of that, let me know, I would LOVE to have another from that era
I have a 96, .050 over, 10:1 comp, I don't have to even get off the seat to start it. The throttle is more of a on/off switch, they're not a high revving engine and have a close ratio gearbox meaning first gear is really tall and then they're all super close. It definitely chews your nerves riding it. Not much really equals it. Love the things.
Yes! Restore the old CR 500, those were badass bikes. The 1985-1989 models were beasts! Good luck finding sides of motor cases, those are hard to find now days and expensive! And yes, those CR 500’s are fast as hell on outlaw karts, I’ve got 4 of them I used to race karts and win a lot. Had good luck with 85-89 CR 500 motors.
It sounds like it's running leqn at some point. I would put soune liquid gasket or silicone seal between the manifold and the carb. Also check your reed valve how far its moving. Check rust in your tank as well. it may have some rust v. build up in your fuel hose going to your carb
I literally feel your pain! I owned an 86 cr500 when I was 17 yrs.old and 140 lbs.maximum. I stalled the bike crossing train tracks alone & miles from home. I kicked that beast for so long I made a hole in my work boot just in time for that famous kick-back you got to enjoy.
I actually cried multiple times because I still had to keep kicking with my broken food & damaged boot. The relief I felt when that bike fired to life I will never forget. I found procedure to start-#1-throttle wide open & lean bike over till fuel spills out carb. #2-throttle wide open, choke off, kick over few times to get fuel in cyl. #3-choke on, throttle closed, kick past tdc then jump on kicker with every ounce of your soul. That bike started on 1st kick EVERY TIME after that. I wish I never sold it. Love/hate for sure. Enjoy that demon from hell while you can.
Me too. Back in the day. I was at Hollister. Off to the distance was another guy, sweating profusely, and swearing like a truck driver. We got together and solved it. We moved the kick starter up a couple of notches, got a turkey baster with a bit of hose stuck on the end and syphoned gas out of the tank. Removed the plug, and gave it a bit of prime. Problem solved.
That’s funny I had the kx 420, Kawasaki version of the 2 stroke 500 class. Got it at 14 or 15 in 8th grade. I’d push it over by the deck on back of house for initial start so I could keep 1 foot on the deck and throw my right leg over, I’d get piston to tdc and give it hell but I was pretty big/athletic for my age. That thing would try to throw me off in every gear.
I've been looking forward to this day since the creation of this channel 🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲
Love your vids❤
You sir were built for this bike, you just don't know it yet
My dad had a Honda XR 500 back in the day and he used to send it. He's been wanting a another 500 for years since he sold his.
@@charlesmccarty9354 well a XR is 4stroke not a 2stroke...
John impressed the hell out of me riding that beast
People don’t know how difficult kick starting a 500 is… lol love mine 😂 just gotta jump on her and use that body weight
I used to ride big two strokes, owned several, and all of them were extra dangerous with their kick-starts. You have to know exactly what you are doing otherwise you can kiss your ankle goodbye. My favorite was the KX500.
Yup ive had lots of 500s. Good insurance that you know whats up to start em. Idiot proof. Kind of.
Yeah you really have to put your whole body into, i have 2 500s & 2 490s, on my 92 wr500 it kicked backed and cracked my case
Fooligan!!! Love ur vids bro been watching since you first had ur yellow grom not sure how long that is
Guys would ask to ride my kx 500 and my response was always if you can start it you can ride it it was usually about 50/50
Please please do not chop that bike up, you have got to restore that piece of history.
Here here...PLEASE, DO NOT chop up this Magnificent piece of 2 stroke history....Please*
Don't change anything idk how you guys keep finding cool stuff at swap meets we don't have them on the east coast
There is a place open to the public here in Sweden that has a few of these! it’s a Motocross museum located in the town of Vimmerby. 😊👍
@@neilorange4112yes we have tons! Just go find any flea market there will be a swap meat in the parking lot!
Chop it up and put it an a crf450 frame
Please fully restore this bike it deserves it and don’t let John wreck it haha this thing is a classic always wanted to ride one be safe as always guys
Seriously, it deserves a rebuild, love this thing like its your A+, gold medal winning child
I owned a 1987 CR 500 for abut five years. The carb. sounds rich on the slow and mid circuits. Start it with no throttle because the enrichment circuit (not choke) only functions with a closed throttle plus it didnt look like it was being kicked with a full stroke and not fast enough.
Agree. As a former open class rider, you really gotta kick these like you mean it. One old timer told me "If you pussyfoot her, she will bite your leg off. Snap that kick so fast she can't catch your leg"
Agreed! My first bike was a 1983 CR480 bored 80 over. I bought it for $800 when I was 18 back in 1995. Really, really wish I still owned it.
yes, and to add to that, they wont start until the carb is dialed in, kick harder and fast, no throttle with choke, thing probabaly needs a crank seals,
I agree, my 86 KX500 got hard to start and wouldn't clean out on top end once the seals went bad.
@@lowellray2397 My dad's friend had a swap meet special kick start harley and he said bikes like these (big engine dirt bikes and vtwins) you gotta kick em like you're tryin to kill em or else you'll regret it. And that's how he started that thing every time. He kicked that fucker like he was tryin to break the kick starter off haha.
Even after just being resurrected, half a brake, running like crap this ol 500 was STILL trying to kill us😂
Cool addition to the fleet gentlemen. Nothing like a big 2stroke bike. Had a KX500 back in the day and was nutty fast and scarry. Keep extra money in the kitty for rear tires.
If I were to send you a Bafang M625 50.4 volt mid drive could you build me a tadpole trike/go-kart or a rail bike? Bought it and haven't found a bike it will fit on. This kit will supposedly snap chains because of the torque. And it doesn't have to have pedals. It can be used with the thumb throttle. It's a 1 kw motor with a 19.6Ah Battery. 45 mph and 60-100 mile range? All depends on gearing. This could be your first electric build for your channel. Open up karting to another group of people. Instead of grease monkeys they'd be die-electric grease monkeys.🐒🐒🐒🐒🐒🐒
I now a few of my buddies still hobble around and can tell you when its gonna rain 😂busted up bones from that toemain machine. Only thing i ever rode as evil as the 500 was a buddy of mine's 750 3cyl Kawasaki 2stroke wicked evil lil street bike light and had a nasty habit of keeping the frt wheel off the pavement and smoking the back tire all at the same time 😳😂😂
I had a 1987 and if you put in 2nd gear and rock it back and forth a few times it will be easier to start. It primes the crank case
@@douglasfehler553 I was wondering if it was a old fuel line, I have had them collapse in upon themselves at higher loads.
I can only imagine the size of the leg on the Japanese guy who test started these all day in the factory back in the 80s 😂
Guys, Charles is such a great addition to the team. I am so glad you brought him on.
his style of chaos is a perfect fit at C&C
@ghomerhust Agreed, I am also a big fan of his way of speeking. I am not English-speaking, so it is fun to add to my vocabulary his little tidbits.
Agreed 😂
I always loved everything about you guys but Charles needs to ditch the wig bit
I thought it was Joe Dirt.
Here’s a tip. Check the packing in the muffler/silencer. There might be oil in the packing which reduces the exhaust making it harder to kick.
the lower curve of the expansion chamber will build up oil too!
What kind of hillybilly are you that’s all Wrong lol
I also have a 79 TT500. The Thumper. Bust your ass bike. The most badass bike Yamaha ever made. Get it boys. Have fun.
i had a 1982 CR480 4 speed when I was in high school at it was a BEAST it was not fun to ride in the woods because it wanted to be WIDE OPEN Field going FULL THROTTLE which was SCARY AS HELL and i sold it after it flipped over on top of me in 3rd Gear and all i was doing was burping the gas and I WASN'T READY for the POWER BAND when it hit and you know your got a BADASS 2 Stroke when the stock piston is as big as your fist. These Big Boyz are NOT TOYS👍😎👍
A true legend, and deserves a full restoration ✌️
Ike, don't be a Hero. We all want to see you live a long life.. Also it's good to see Chuck on the revival of the 80s.
I'm a Winner, I won.. I did it I won the money.
There are a couple of tricks for starting the 500, leaving over to get fuel out is a good start, making sure the choke is on, putting in the second gear and rocking the bike back-and-forth in gear front to back will help draw more fuel and air into the crank case, making starting much easier Also need to get a full kick to the bottom of the stop, that really makes a big difference as well, the ignition on the 8586 models was not very good, upgrading to the newer one helps a lot, I will usually modify a Newer, CR 250 ignition, that makes starting even easier.And also make sure your plug gap is .020
When I was younger, I had a Yamaha TT500 (4 stroke), owned it for 2 days and sold it ASAP. I am only 150 lbs and that thing was a monster like the CR500 are. I eventually got a CR250R (1984) and that alone was scary quick, fast and hard to kick over, at least for me it was, but it was fun!
I also had a TT500. At least it had a compression release to help start it. It wasn't as scary as my CR500 though...
Yep I got a tt500 now, definitely more tame than the cr500 because of no power band to them
the tt500 has less than half the horsepower of the cr500
I had a TT600 kept busting the transmission and case !
CR500 was faster 😂
I had the XR 600 R. 85 model year. Fast as hell.
Never really comment but this is what the channel needs. Don't swap the motor leave it where it rightfully needs to be
I second that! That bike should never be torn apart other than to restore it.
I disagree, they should put the motor in a go kart and put a 420cc predator in the bike. 😂
That would be a sin to motor swap that definitely don't, you want to get that bike running correctly
Back in early 2000's, a budy I worked with took a cr500 and swapped it into a 250r racing quad. Apparently, it wasn't too difficult to do (some welding and manual convincing), and when alI was said and done, I felt it was appropriate to tell him he just created a 2 stroke monster.
And when I say that thing was loud, what I really mean is, that thing was practically fucking ear shattering. Just sitting on the quad and reving it would make your eyes vibrate. Seriously, once, after waiting for a traffic light, I watched my buddy leave 50ft+ strips down the street straight smoking tire the whole time. It was such a untamed beast because it tried to kill you every time you rode the damn thing.
Yep just like the Quadzilla 500 those things were definitely death machines
Back in the day my brother had a 3 cylinder 2 stroke Kawasaki that would do that on the highway also.
Built a cart once with cr500 motor. Nasty chromoly speed demon. Crazy and deadly too.
@@dt90891 Oh snap! Damn yo, I can only begin to imagine how awesomely scary that would be to drive. I bet the adrenaline rush was insane.
@ nuts man. Sliding machine too. Tire shredder.
Definitely was one of the most terrifying bikes I've been on but so much fun to ride one.
yeah, it's scary how fun it is to ride
Step dad through me on his 86 when i 9 and said aight boy hang on!!! I was hooked ever since.
They are a BLAST in some dunes with a paddle tire
Sounds like you’re on the right track. Ive been riding these motocross bikes my whole life. Start with surgically cleaning the carb. It could also be the stator shorting out when hot. You absolutely have to run the airbox. The jetting is very specific on these mx bikes. Also, when you run out of gas, you run out of oil! Smart idea about the engine seals. Old seals can introduce a lean condition which will cause the engine to detonate and meltdown. Good luck
I’ll give you the Oklahoma jones was funny
From experience, the crank seals are definitely near the top of the list of possible faults.
Good advise thanks
Cracked element in spark plugs can't handle full throttle. 1st thing id change
You need to kick these from top dead center if you want a reliable first/second kick start up EVERY time. You also need to kick down with all of your weight on the kick lever after winding it up to TDC with the kick lever ALL the way up like I said. Mine fires right up easy with an air striker flat slide carb upgrade doing as I mentioned. You can also wind it up to TDC with the Kick lever as far up as it can go while still grabbing, push down easy on the kick start with your foot a little bit till it moves down just a tad then kick it from there if you really struggle. Putting something beside the left side of the bike a little bit higher then the peg to put your left foot on while kicking it helps big time as well because it’s easier to get your weight into the kick to make sure your getting a hard/quick enough kick every time. When I kick down on mine I pick myself up with my arms on the bars to pick up my left foot with the right foot firm against the kick lever at either TDC or a hair past it and literally drop all my weight down while kicking with my right foot. Your foot should never come off of that kick start/lever and should be firmly touching against it the whole time or you won’t be able to effectively use your weight and kick it over quick enough. I’ve found that tipping them over and all that crap can cause more headaches then good and you’ll experience some kick back, opening the throttle at all while it’s got fuel in the cylinder from laying it down is bad and you will get the kickback of a lifetime that will ever move you out of the way or bust your shin/etc and move it out of the way as it kicks back which can put the fear of god in you and make starting the thing a scary experience until you figure it out. The bike shouldn’t kick back if the jetting/carb is dialed in and you can get some fuel moving to the cylinder for an easier start after sitting for a period of time by putting the bike in 3rd/4th/or 5th gear and then rapidly push it forward and backwards like 6 times with a small pump of the throttle… Laying it over can flood it if your not experienced and you do that quickly if that’s the route you take, rocking it back in forth in gear will accomplish the same without over doing it so you don’t break your leg off. Always try to start it with the choke kicking it over as I described and slowly turn the choke off more and more if no luck and it should fire, if you kick it several times and get to the point that the choke is fully off then try two quick pumps of the throttle with choke off or slightly on. If you have no luck at that point then resort to rocking it back and forth in a higher gear or tipping it over really quick and picking it back up. Ideally it should be starting for you without having to touch the throttle while actually kicking it over because your chances of receiving kick back are high at that point. I’ve never had a 500 kick back on me after I figured that stuff out and quit trying to open the throttle too much while kicking it incase it actually fires up quickly and dies in the middle of kicking down and breaks your foot. Sometimes on rare occasions the bike while keep running after breaking your leg kicking back but at that point your lucky if you can ride it.. Most of the time it lights off and then dies though so it just breaks your leg and the bike still isn’t running 😂. It’s the nature of the beast if you want to be ride a CR500 and have a pleasant experience instead of absolutely hating the thing unless it’s actually running lol. The key is to kick it from TDC and it takes more effort then kick starting any other machine, I would rather kick start a high compression 4 stroke 450cc quad or dirt bike engine any day because they are nothing compared to that big bore 500 2 stroke. I have a 2006 CRF250R Honda four stroke motocross chassis with CR500 engine swap so a CR500AF, AF=Aluminum frame, with weight and nimbleness of a 125cc 2 stroke MX bike but the power and torque of the CR500 so if you think that stocker steel frame bike is insane you should ride a CR500AF sometime with a modern, lightweight aluminum chassis with mods! My AF blew my mind the first ride and it almost feels like cheating riding the thing it is so wicked!!! Hopefully what I said makes sense to you as far as starting goes because it makes the bikes a lot more enjoyable to have and want to rip it! Been riding for 30 years and raced 450cc quad MX for several years but I learned on 3 wheels at age 4 and always rode three wheelers, quads, and dirt bikes over the years instead of sticking to one because it really helps as an overall rider and I’ve dedicated most all of my free time to the sport to get better and better. I enjoy watching your videos and I really loved this one with the CR500, GREAT JOB as always guys!!!! Keep doing what you do and maybe think about finding a burnt out, cheap aluminum frame modern dirt bike with a solid chassis at least with a blown motor, preferably a Honda CRF250R chassis 06 to 08 ish to keep the weight down. You can buy all the parts and new front lower frame section, etc to fit the 500 into those Honda chassis. You have to cut and weld the aluminum frame but it’s pretty straightforward and you can buy the pieces pre made of you don’t need any to fab your own kit. It’s really not that bad money wise and what you end up with, TRULY IS INSANE!!!! You have the motor already which is a better part of the battle lol. Just a thought! I basically never have to rock my bike or tip it, it fires up quickly and reliably even after sitting for awhile since the carb is tuned perfectly so I really only did that before starting when I first got a 500 and it was new to me but everyone told me the same thing I have commented here and after doing it the right way and learning for myself these bikes really aren’t that hard to get started. As long as the carb is properly jetted for the fuel/oil mix ratio your putting in the tank and it is clean and getting enough fuel flowing, no air leaks, and clean intake/ reeds/air filter/no excess buildup in the exhaust, expansion chamber, good compression, spark, etc you shouldn’t have to struggle to get it started with the kick lever or have kick back. I run 40:1 fuel/oil mix ratio with either premium ethanol free gasoline, or premium gasoline mixed with some VP 110 to bump up the octane a little bit with “Dominator” 2-stroke oil in my 500 and it runs mint.
th-cam.com/video/XDwP6aQ-Dy8/w-d-xo.html&feature=sharea
@@Dartgame340 that’s your choice and I respect that but I should of been more clear in the first comment, it is for someone new to a 500 looking for some answers or a better understanding of them so the bike can be an enjoyable experience. It’s long because I am thorough and want to put the information here for the creator @CarsandCameras. No, I do not know everything and that’s not what it’s about, but I’m a veteran rider of 30 years and own a 2006 CR500AF and remember figuring it out myself. There’s plenty of info on the internet that I have already sorted through and tried different things until I figured out what actually works and just leaving it here to maybe help someone else out that needs an in depth comment to read. Thankfully I own and have ridden many kick start machines over the past 30 years and have a couple 350x’s and 200x’s, 2001 400ex fully built for MX with an 05 TRX450R kick start quad engine swapped in the chassis, YZ250, etc etc so It didn’t take long to figure out how to get reliable one kick starts on the 500 without busting a leg or kicking so many times your too tired to even ride the thing by the time it does light up which is frustrating and having to pull start the 500 with a tow rope isn’t the best for it either as a work around. This was probably too long for you to make it this far but other people trying to learn will appreciate the info and that’s what it was for, to help out fellow riders… A lot of people like to act like everything is a secret or just plain don’t care to share knowledge with the rest of us and I’m not that guy….
Paragraphs !
I’m dying laughing seeing John’s leg buckle trying to kick the 500 over 🤣🤣 Love y’all!!
If you don't have enough ass to kick start it, you damn sure don't have enough to ride it. Lol! That was a rule the man that taught me to ride had, that & if you lay it down get right back on it ! Also he always said' if you're not wiping out your not riding!
The face on Ike when John looks up at him straight after it buckles speaks so many words haha
Oh lord brings a tear to my eye. I had the exact bike in 88 as an 18 yr old and it tried to kill you every time. It was amazing and i rode it every day its what made us men and the 80s amazing!!! I rode it to school in Nike hightops daily. Thanks so much for doing this machine!!!
I've had my two since 1999 and 2000. Still both are running strong. My 1989 started being hard to start but a buddy told me to upgrade the wiring to a thicker gauge so I did. Needless to say it went from being almost impossible to kick over to starting on the second kick everytime. May help may not but it's worth a shot.
You guys need to see what an old CR 500 can be....
Check out FAB Rats and the fellow who rebuilt his CR,it came out looking like it was straight off the showroom floor only better.
It's an incredible resto job!!!
DIRT BIKE FAB
@@kurtmager1517 Great call.I was going to suggest they watch him describe How To Start it.
Yeah, that bike is owned by Paul ( fab rats) owner. He had the bike restored by dirt bike fab.
The sub frame tilts up to remove carburetor
Had 2 CR500's one was a road legal supermoto and the other was in MX trim. My starting sequence was - put the bike in gear, place a hand on top of the back wheel and move it backwards and forwards making the engine turn over, this primed the cylinder with fuel and it started within a couple of kicks, I dont know why this worked because it does the same as kicking it over but it did work, another way was a small shot of fuel down the spark plug hole.
I see you guys are stepping it up a notch with the quality!
John, Issac (Hopefully it’s spelt right) , Charles you are all the best of the best! I’m sure y’all know that. 👌
John made a video fairly recently about how they are going to release less videos as often to release better content. It was honestly a really good decision and I'm really happy with it. The boys seem less stressed and we get better content out of it!
Don't forget Chuck
@@rya3190 No, it’s only the 3 boys.
@@DylanSchmidt-gu2sx But Chuck was right there at the beginning, he sometimes helps Ike and John when Charles is unavailable.
@@rya3190 Sometimes. Did you see Chuck in every single video since the first time he was on Camera?
I can tell you no, although Chuck was cool, he didn’t stay, but Charles has, he has proven his loyalty the boys. I see Issac still messes around with him in a fun way.
Man this thing takes me back to my childhood. I’m a 82 baby and my dad had one of these. Took it for a joy ride after me and 3 of my friends all hurt ourselves tryin to get it started. Good times! Another awesome video guys
Got to love this , a friends brother had one of these in the early 90’s . Road legal, he used to wait 200-300 yards behind traffic at the lights , when they changed he used to wheelie down the outside lane overtaking everyone beating the lights before they changed to red. .😂❤
Thank god they invented starter motors. 😇🇬🇧
Awesome piece of kit .
I've always loved your channel, but this one had me giggling all the way through. Thanks for helping me relive my youth. Fanfreakingtastic video!
Just a suggestion. You should probably do a leak down test to insure you don’t have a seal leak somewhere in the motor it will burn a 2-stroke up if too much air is getting in. And a crank seal will allow trans fluid into the crank causing it to foul plugs.
I have an 1981 CR125R, and I had a problem where when it got hot, it stopped working. The problem was the ignition coil (inside the magneto), swapped it to a new one and it was like different bike after that. These old 2 strokes need a really good strong spark, as the pressure inside the cylinder get really high on high rpm. I would start there, just get all new (if you find them) electric parts and it will solve most of the starting and running problems!
Tell me why he looked like kid rock when he was sitting on the bike when it was still in the box lol 😂 🤣
Then after a while he got a little tired of keeping up the persona and his voice started sounding more like Charles.
I was thinking more Joe dirt but that too 😂😂😂
I was thinking more Kaplan America 😂
Holy crap! What a nice find, I love the CR500 body style, and that 2 stroke sounds awesome when you let off the throttle. Nice job getting to run
I have faith in that new ignition coil and magneto. Engines are finicky and 1 bad part can throw the whole thing off. a slow RPM from a kick may still trigger a spark to get it going every 10 kicks, but if the magnet is weak or the coil burned out or corroded it's probably putting out a small fraction of the proper spark it would get from new parts.
Good luck. You guys look like some good friends, and that's a wild fun project. Enjoy!
Everything you mentioned about replacing electrical wise is a very good idea, it’s a short stroke motor. so it’s definitely an animal too ride 😳 if you’re gonna change the crank seals go for a top end rebuild, air filter , clutch plates ,, silencer packing, it’s an iconic bike what you put into it your gonna get back if you ever sell ( don’t)and change the gearbox oil if you haven’t already great show and good luck 🍀👍🙏
So far, this has been one of my favorite videos. I remember seeing these as a kid while riding a 175, it was always awesome to see what guys were doing on these bikes. Keep up the good work and Please restore it to "mostly" it's former glory!
Is the bike oil injected ? If it is, it could be running too rich on oil
@@isaacknudsen9320p
hill climbs,i rode one for years and always mounted the biggest rear tire i could fit between the swing arm.
Awesome bike ! I enjoyed watching you guys get this old beast running. One tip that I have found to get a 2 strokes that have been sitting around running would be to dump a little mixed gas down the cylinder head prior to attempting to start the bike. This helps get the bike to prime and fire up. Great video !
PROUD OF YALL FOR GIVING IT A SHOT, IM SURE YOUR VIEWERS ARE HAPPY.
i had a CR500 and i still have the scare up the inside of my leg from it kicking back. always have steal shank sole boots to try to start it.
but that thing is a beast.
As someone with a lot experience with a few CR500s i was back and forth laughing and cringing at rookie 500 owner mistakes 😆 obviously kicking an untested 500 without a boot was gonna get someone a boo boo, but what was REALLY scary to me was riding it without front brakes 😬
yeh no boots😵💫
no front brakes🤯
i was more worried about the total lack of knowledge like trying to tow start it because they dont know how to kick it over and not even know to pop the clutch when tow starting it. they didnt even know the drain plug on the water pump cover they thought it was the wrong bolt.
John kicks weird
@@TrumplicanI had to stop watching half way through I was cringing so hard
@@grant9602 yeah it was pretty rough they are definitely better with go-karts.
I think it’s worth a restore. Cool piece of dirt bike history!
Put it in gear and rock back and forth to prime. Start on 1st kick. I’ve had three of them.
The reed valve’s are sticking from setting up so long. Clean with brake fluid,also look thru the valve the same way the fuel flows towards the sun or a light. If you see daylight around the edges you should adjust the valve to seal by moving the petals around and retighten the little screws. The petals are sticking from 2-stroke oil in storage. Be careful not to stick the piston in the cylinder when jetting the carburetor,it sounds rich.
two things... it was made to loft you over 60ft doubles after accelerating for around 8-10ft, and when you hit the powerband with enough grip to load the engine fully you'll hear a sound that sounds like war... thats full power
Best description yet.
finally someone who you can tell who has rode one....... tip of the hat to you sir!
I had an '84 CR500, last of the air-cooled,. They called that the widow maker at the bike shop where i bought it ( in oz). It had a big bore kit ( by previous owner) and was scary fast as well. I learnt to ride it on the back wheel as i couldn't keep the front wheel down, and yes, i bruised my right foot many times. The power band is something that never gets old in these things , deadly fun !
The level of "This is a bad idea" kept increasing throughout the video, as did my level of smiles. Well done.
Also, Careful running the fuel tank dry alot. Causes a lean condition every time and the piston wont like that 😁
My first race bike was a cr480 with a left side kick, then the 490 and a few years later a cr500. Now I trail ride a crf450. The big two strokes don’t really enjoy low rpm if I remember correctly and do enjoy 3rd gear starts when the gate drops . Just keep your nuts on the tank and you’ll be fine.
If there's 2 stroke, I'm here!!!! 2 stroke power forever!!!!!! 💥💥💥💥💥
Finally a real bike! I get that whole mini bike stuff, but dirt bikes and proper bikes reach a far bigger audience for you guys. I reckon focus on this for the future, like old car stuff you've guys done blows up. Lawnmower engines are cool but kind of done it's dash ...keep this up guys
There are a big bunch of us that enjoy the normal stuff they do and this is good but if they went to just motorcycles not so much
I think budget mini-bike/go kart builds would be better than some of the crazy minibike builds at least, not many (sane) people would drop hundreds into a cheap China engine
Restore it, brought back emotions and memories for me, i had a '87. First time trying kick over took like 2hrs. I am 5'5'' after a while i got good enough to start it without a kick stand or someone holding it. Dont give up on it. Twist throttle, lean it over, past TDC, one good mule kick with all your weight til the kicker hits the foot peg and they start.
Those bikes are monsters, I had a 91 back in the early 2000s and by far the torquey bike I've ever had. I swear mine had a compression release that made it much easier to start
ding diring ding
I bought a brand new CR 500 in 1987 that was a leftover they couldnt sell. It wasnt long and I bought a Husqi 510 AE. The Husq literally scared the hell out of me with its crazy powerband. Funny thing is that I still own them both today and give them a run every weekend and the Husq is still scary..lol
Nice. My bro had a husky race bike. Threw him over the bars once when he first got it. I was 5 and he had to watch me.. rode on the tank and hung on the handlebars. He made a spot to put my feet off the top of the shocks. Great times.
I ended up with an 86 kx500 , same thing no one really wanted it , definitely intimidating bikes , everyone wanted the 250s and 125s , well their loss as I passed them in 5th gear throttle wheelies
Sounds amazing but make sure your expansion chamber is clean and clear also your power valve needs to be clean and clear and if you're running and Big bore kit it should be 40 to 1
The thing with these cr500's (had two myself, an '86 and a '88) is you have to kick it the right way and really do it with persistence. Use work boots or mx boots or something, with thick soles. Also, do a leak down test (look up: 2t leak down) to exclude any airleaks which can make starting a pain. These bikes should start pretty easy like any other 2t when sorted. Good luck!
Try putting in a set of boysen 2 stage reeds in the original manifold. Go one size hotter on the plug, double check jetting to see if has been changed, and definitely get brakes working. Those 500s are at their best in sand dunes, had allot of fun with the CR500 and KTM495 on the dunes and in the desert. Be safe:)
Restore it and tune it like hell
Them brakes are a MUST, hard to stop all that weight and momentum
A tip of advice for two strokes, instead of starting fluid. You’re supposed to use pre mix in a squirt/mist bottle. At least that’s what I was always told ! :)
Yeah starting fluid isn't too great for two strokes
Keep it in the higher gears and let the torque do the work
Can you imagine tickling the power band on their Grand Prix track? I'm still shaking my head in disbelief over Ike's ether induced injury!
@@majorwedgie8166I missed Ikes injury. When was that and what happened?
@@j_rainsgoat3929 it kicked back on him and turnt his ankle
Ether induced. Gotcha.
@@j_rainsgoat3929 I'm all for risky fun but also John had no business trying to start (and ride) that thing! If it had done to John what it did to Ike, John would have launched across the road... WITH the broken ankle. That bike is arguably the most lethal dirt bike made.
I've ridden one once. That was enough for me. Y'all handled it well, but keep in mind that you haven't gotten it in the power band yet and that's a whole next level of insanity!
Not much of a powerband on a 500. It just pulls hard all the way threw the power curve.
@TNTMOTO Possible the one I rode was modified because I definitely had a power band. It was as if I suddenly got kicked in the chest with little throttle input.
@Engineering_Improvisation perhaps it was. Power curves can be altered with porting, intake and exhaust but for the most part the 85 just pulled ridiculously hard from the bottom through the mid and then leveled out in the top. Never the less. They are one crazy motor.
Hello I owned two CR500. Watching your video was like seeing a old friend . I'm 58. 1987 not sure on the second one . the stock CR ran the best. It put me on my back plenty of times best . the stuttering engine is normal at lower RPMs. I did some racing.. bikes and ATVs . I but the 500 engine on a 250 R ATV . It vibrated so bad you couldn't hold on to the handle bars. I wouldn't recommend putting the engine on something else.
Love it when your neighbour makes an appearance haha. You could give him his own show!
This bike deserves a full restoration!!!! It's a perfect machine!!!
put your weight and leg into it at the same time I could do it when I was15 years old in timberland boots on a newly bored and newly rebuildlt bike of exactly same model year . Watch kickback tho it’s a beast for sure to start and once running..wow the memories Fix clutch before you kill yourself that thing is a animal
I'd LOVE to see more of this legend!❤ I had trouble with my 2smoker, check the expansion chamber and clean it out with FIRE and compressed air. Got my Husqy running gooood
My progression into racing motocross all started out with Go-Karts !!!! You guys rock
Hi guys. I understand you need a hand with the carb issues on the beast. LMAO! I went through everything you guys did VERBATIM in 1988 when I bought a 1984 cr500 from Asheboro Honda. The mod is simple……throw that P.O.S. 38mm keihen in the garbage, and slap on the modern day equivalent to a Mikuni 40mm flat slide! GONE will be the ridiculous hard starting. Just push the kick lever past TDC, jump up and come down on it with all your weight, DONT TWIST THE THROTTLE…just half choke when cold. And once she’s warmed up, choke off, NO throttle to start. VERY excellent starting circuit on the Mikuni. Oh, and fair warning, the Mikuni also seems to have a high speed circuit that the Keihin does not, so it feels like it gains an extra 1000-1250rpm on top, making the beast way more flexible and far less abrupt. 1st gear becomes USEABLE. My second cr500 I purchased new in 1999. Honda seemed to have gotten Keihin to put one on that metered properly by then.
To be fair, I gained my salvation by unwittingly having the right issue of DirtBike magazine in 1984 that did the review of the last air cooled, first full 500cc CR. They were just as dumbfounded with the hard starting as I was. Luckily they knew what the cure was for my pains. Did you know the 1985 model was the point where they said “Hey, maybe we need to start tuning this thing down a bit.” Ever since then a Honda has tamed the compression a bit each year. You guys got the knarliest one bro! Oh I forgot to mention, I never had a spark plug last more than 2 or 3 rides on the 84. The 99 models plugs would last about 8-10 rides before fouling. The 84 came with 13-51 gearing. I believe the 99 was 13-50.
Nate Holder, originally from Siler City…..
……keep yer head down when you pull the trigger on that beast!
Love the 500. Can’t wait to see more episodes on it. Definitely restore!!👍🏻
It will probably get a couple videos then get forgotten
Wait until you get that beast running properly guys, these bikes are phenomenal 👌🏻
The 85 engine is unique. The cylinder and crankshaft are different than the other CR 500 models. Mine was hard to start like that one is. Later ones were easier to start because they moved the exhaust ports to lower compression.
Also the angryest year🤘
They were short stroke engines. Shorter crank shaft so they were wayyyy more angry !
I remember when y’all picked this up. I’ve been waiting for it to make an appearance. Good luck boys!
To prime a 2 stroke, put it in first gear with the engine off and rock it forward and backwards. It will start much easier!!
Or just let someone kick it over then do the trick to make yourself look smug 😏😏😏😏😏
yeah, we tried that a bunch as well. Tip it over until fuel runs out of the carburetor, put it in gear and rock it back and forth, get it just past TDC, give it a good strong kick. This one just doesn't light off on the first or second kick like most others seem to.
Check the power valve and make sure there’s no cuts in the air box to carb rubber boot also if you do get an a good enough size air leak the motor will run away like a diesel motor
No power valve on a CR500.
There are a few episodes where I worry about your safety, and this was one of them. That bike is just plain dangerous. I rode that bike's little brother, a similar year 250, and it was crazy powerful. I vote for bringing it back to its former glory, taking it for a run around the track, then immediately selling it, lol.
no way learn to respect it don't be afraid of life
They used to make a compression release for those high comp. 2 strokes to make it easier to kick start them.
Didn't they start adding the compression release to the engine in 1987. It was built into the kickstarter If I remember correctly. I also thing you can put it in as an aftermarket part as well.
No, they didnt. You can buy an aftermarket head that has an integrated compression release added to it, but the CR500 NEVER had a compression release from the factory.
Source: I own 2 differnt generations of them.
Just a tip, a correctly restored one goes for 4 grand plus. Never bastardize that world winning engine by putting it in a stupid go cart.
You guys walked me through covid and helped me on some of my builds. Love to see how far you guys have come! 🔥
I'm right there with you I'm on the (hopefully) downhill slide of covid now. C&C's have made it much more tolerable.
you guys mean governments over reach to civil rights and so on?
Guys, please be careful on this bike! I want to enjoy many more years of content from all three of you...
Lol there not that bad 🤣 😅.I own 2 of them
@@jerrywilcox9890 bro how lol
@e58a lol it's not hard.
@e58a lol you act like there hard to come by haha there not.
@@jerrywilcox9890But... Ike likes to crash...
I have some CR 500 experience and the first thing I can tell you about it seemingly starving for fuel is that the carb float is probably set to low. Secondly, make sure the carb jetting is the original size and the needle is in the factory set position. CR 500s are absolutely awesome. Robbie Knievel made a CR his bike of choice for good reason👍🏻
it needs matching gold rims to operate properly... js 😅
Well, gentlemen, you guys have a beast on your hands that definitely deserves to be resurrected! It’s a bad ass bike and when they’re running good, there’s nothing like it! Great video and congrats on acquiring this monster 👍🏼🤩🫡❤️
Legend has it the bad dude cr500 broke his hand many moons ago & it's still broken to this day. 😂🤣
Man this thing is a rad bad machine glad to see Chuck again and hope Ikes foot is okay
My buddy had one of these MONSTERS. He would beg me to take turns trying to kick-start this thing. My last starting assist, the kick starter went through my brand new Alpine Star Tech-6 boots. My buddy has since sold this MONSTER. This video brought me so much joy. Thank you.
You guys have made a lot of go karts. But, I don't think you've ever made a 2 stroke go kart. This is probably a little too powerful. But, you do have those KX80s. One of those would be cool.
I had a CR250 in college. It was perfect. Lighter, plenty of power and way easier to kick over, didn't even have to think about it.
Oh my.. I've had 2 of the widow makers back in the day. I wouldn't ride it without being able to feather the front brake.. with it being hard to start, check the compression. If it checks out then take the carb completely apart & make sure the idle jet or the main isn't plugged.. sometimes when ya run outta gas on them older big bore 2 strokes lean out & run wide open for a minute.. fix the brakes guys for yalls safety.. be safe. & good luck, have fun...
Lean it over and stand up 3 times before trying to start, when you get the air fuel mix right and may need to adjust reed stop plate for peak performance, good starting point for air fuel screw is 2 1/8 to 2 1/2 turns out it will start easier but that style carby, it was a mission to get them to idle at times
17:46 for future reference and for a LOT less fighting take off the sub frame on the bike and it makes putting the carb in 1,000,000x easier its a bit more work but helps so much more
So I have a 1988 engine in an 04 CRF450 roller. These bikes are for sure a keeper. You should completely restore it or ya k the engine and put it in a newer CRF roller. That would make it a CR500AF. My bike is for sure a head yanker and is for sure a big boy bike. I’m 165lbs, I rebuild these bikes and own 4 YZs (Yamahas) an 02 YZ250, 05 YZ250, 2014 YZ250, 05 YZ144 which is a big bore 125. I love the stupid power on my 04 CR500AF and ride as a novelty. You should strip it completely and do a complete rebuild or again mount it to a newer aluminum gram making it more parts friendly. Just about any newer frame from 97-2023 will work fine, you need a 97-01 airbox boot, and the hardware to mount it to the newer model airbox. All this can be done well. Check out CR500, and built 500 for more insight and modification instructions. These will always be fantastic bikes just as the Kawasaki KX500 is also.
I was the lucky owner of a CR500 1989 model.
I bought it second hand in '93 for arround 3000 Dollars, but the owner barley drove it.
The first original chain and sprocket were as good as new.
Also almost no wearing of the saddle or other scraches on the plastic
Me as a student having not a lot of money bought a CR500, due the fact that the engine did not have to work as hard compared to a 125 or 250cc.
So this reduced any kind of wear on the engine (also the experienced guys at the track told me this)
So this could in potential saved me some money because (according to them) a CR500 is a bit more "wear proof"
Offcourse me as a hobbyist never would be able to grind this machine like pro's
At that time i did not go out, but i saved every dime to be able to dirtbike every Saterday from 10.00 Am till 17:00 PM.
I put my heart and soul into this Most beautifull type 1989 CR500 ever made (in my opinion)
But as you could guess, it eventually got stolen.
And i litterally felt heart broken.
After that in 1995 i worked and managed to purchase a proffesional Honda CR500 factory machine from '93.
But most of the time i used this machine to cruise on the public road, rather than using it on the track
O yes,
i forgot to say that when i bought this machine they (again) after 3 days of purchasing the tried to steal it from me
I reiforced my garage door, and installed alarm.
And ye you guessed it, after the 2nd attempt another 3rd attempt was made to steal,
At this time i was fed up with all the damage on my garage, and i sold it with quite some loss.
Back in 1995 i payed about 4500 Dollars for a 1993 Honda Team factory machine.
I just wanted to get rid of it, and i sold it for about 1300 Dollars in 1997.
This more or less ended my "DIrtbike Carrier"
I've had 2, and technically a 465. I can hear that the jets need to be cleaned, also check the float level.
100% restore it. Start with the new bottom-end bearing, and cork it while you put in new seals and gaskets. Give it a higher case pressure.
Good fun bike when the powerband kicks in.
I've had quite a few big bore 2 strokes, KX420, KX500, YZ465, IT490 but none of those bikes could keep up with the CR500!! Nice rare find!!
I had one of those. Practically gave it away when I couldn't find a piston large enough for another boar. Even Weisco couldnt get the next size larger piston. Yea, it was a beast. Needed re-sleved-----cost prohibitive. Pistons tend to sieze when it gets hot.
CR500 cold start procedure. Lean over and give it full throttle till gas pukes out the vent line. Kick through slowly to just past tdc. Give it a healthy kick while twisting the throttle. If everything's good mechanically, It'll light first kick every time. You dont need to be big, I could do it as a scrawny 13yo.
I had a 85? 84? XR500. I still have the divit in my shin from the Kickstarter. High compression 500cc 4 stroke during the winter, and it kicked me up in the air and slammed against my shin. But I could keep up with ANY 2 stroke. The downfall, dual rear shocks and I barely weighed 137lbs when I got it so absolutely NO upward travel. But the huge front tire was awesome for curb hoping. But it had absolutely so much torque you could shift whenever you wanted, and you could take off in any gear. You could basically shift straight through all the gears back to back and it just went! Miss that bike. If you ever decide to get rid of that, let me know, I would LOVE to have another from that era
I have a 96, .050 over, 10:1 comp, I don't have to even get off the seat to start it. The throttle is more of a on/off switch, they're not a high revving engine and have a close ratio gearbox meaning first gear is really tall and then they're all super close. It definitely chews your nerves riding it. Not much really equals it. Love the things.
Yes! Restore the old CR 500, those were badass bikes. The 1985-1989 models were beasts! Good luck finding sides of motor cases, those are hard to find now days and expensive! And yes, those CR 500’s are fast as hell on outlaw karts, I’ve got 4 of them I used to race karts and win a lot. Had good luck with 85-89 CR 500 motors.
It sounds like it's running leqn at some point. I would put soune liquid gasket or silicone seal between the manifold and the carb. Also check your reed valve how far its moving. Check rust in your tank as well. it may have some rust v. build up in your fuel hose going to your carb